Not quite a newbie but...

Messages
1,117
Yeah and talk to Indy and specialists that sell 'em. Private enthusiasts can be helpful for values, but unlikely if they are not AM or marque current owners. On another forum I am on, there is so much inaccuracies on values across models, they all think their model is going through the roof but talk to a specialist who deals in the marque and I see a different picture!

I came in contact with Voicey a few years ago when I was looking for a Ferrari 360 (manual) as stablemate for the Turbo. I learnt more about the 360 in my interactions with him and his blogs than any pub talk about a mates Dad who had one and it forced him to remortgage his house to run it!

On Maser's I have found the advice from Richard Grace and Marios at Autoshield invaluable. They really do know the marque - values, reliability, weaknesses, what to look for, future valuation thoughts (in as far as someone can predict the future).

If it was an Aston I'd be joining the AM forum and visiting a couple of good Indy specialists in this area where I live.
 

Jnismith

Member
Messages
284
Yeah and talk to Indy and specialists that sell 'em. Private enthusiasts can be helpful for values, but unlikely if they are not AM or marque current owners. On another forum I am on, there is so much inaccuracies on values across models, they all think their model is going through the roof but talk to a specialist who deals in the marque and I see a different picture!

I came in contact with Voicey a few years ago when I was looking for a Ferrari 360 (manual) as stablemate for the Turbo. I learnt more about the 360 in my interactions with him and his blogs than any pub talk about a mates Dad who had one and it forced him to remortgage his house to run it!

On Maser's I have found the advice from Richard Grace and Marios at Autoshield invaluable. They really do know the marque - values, reliability, weaknesses, what to look for, future valuation thoughts (in as far as someone can predict the future).

If it was an Aston I'd be joining the AM forum and visiting a couple of good Indy specialists in this area where I live.

I met Marion when he came to inspect my Ghibli many years ago. He certainly did know what he was talking about. Andy and Paul over at McGraths are also pretty knowledgeable.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Welcome... a face lift 4200 will serve you well provide smiles for miles no doubt. At the moment the price difference between the revised 03-04 model and facelift 05 models is nominal... at this point I don't think the price represents the year of the car but rather it's condition as these cars really are a sum of their parts and condition.

Look for the usual wear and tear items, condition of body work/alloys etc. when looking to buy second hand... disc brakes are at a but of a premium at a moment due to a delay on the forum group buy so make sure there is plenty of meat on them.

Cam cover gaskets are a weak point look for smoke from the edge of the engine bay and an oily smell through the vents after going for a test drive

05 facelift has US spec cats so you should not have this but on the euro spec cars any banging or pops from the exhaust could mean blown cats especially if the exhaust system is completely standard

Suspension, rear track rod end bushes are very weak on the test drive when you floor it the back end should not wiggle if it does then the track rod bushes have gone.. Likewise if you hear knocking and banging over rough roses it could be a multitude of bushes

Headlights - try to get a car with xenons mine does not and they are cra... but it's mostly the state of the lense and adjustment mechanism... my headlights are coming out this winter to be restored.

Heater matrix - difficult to tell if it's leaking but if the car smells a bit damp and anti freeze then you should be concerned... another tell is if the inside of the windscreen keeps misting up with a soapy residue on the test drive (winter is a good time for this)... also if the coolant level is an inch or so below max consistently... This is a 12-14 hour job to change by a specialist

Transmission - I have a manual so can't advise you on exactly what to look for on the CC gearbox but make sure it works in all gears no slipping when pulling away etc. The hydraulic f1 system is one of the weaker points on these aging cars and can be expensive to fix depending on what has failed.

Electrics, make sure every single button and light on the dash/centre console works as it should... there is no reason it should not and if something is broken/out of sync it is a headache to fix

If you are buying from Richard Grace or Nuvola you really can buy with confidence... the car should come in a good condition with a warranty... I did not although I went through a trader with 1 year warranty the car it has been an ongoing project with the above being some of my experiences over the past 2 years... all sorted now she's running like a beast, wouldn't sell it to anyone :)